so many pictures...

I don't have anything to write on this posting.. it's all in the one below.. I just had to create this posting to show off some more pics. So jump down to the one below this one to catch up!

Wedding Gowns & Tuxedos: For Rent

Is anyone else as amused by this sign as I was? We spent Thursday in Gatlinburg. We spent most of the day in the aquarium- which was so fun! Grandma Joyce came and met us, and we all wandered around and watched the fishes and sharks. Eileen of course didn't have a clue what she was seeing,but she was fascinated by all the water and waterfalls and moving objects. And of course the people. She was fascinated by some of the scary people out there. Some really LARGE people. Lots of people with scary hair, and even some with very few teeth. Oh, and LOTS of smokers. Perhaps I've been in a bubble lately, but I really had no idea how many people out there still smoke! And the fashion statements. Have these people looked at a magazine in the past 5 years?? One does not need to have very much money in order to look somewhat like you belong in this decade. Heck, even WalMart has been known to carry a pretty current shirt now and again!

But I digress.. back to the sign. After the fun at the Aquarium, Grandma headed home and Josh, Eileen and I strolled the (mostly) cute streets of Gatlinburg. And then we saw this sign, and it stopped me in my tracks. I was D Y I N G to go stand under it and get my picture made - but a very scary looking man- perhaps Christopher himself- was standing in the doorway. I didn't dare offend the man. So the random shot of the sign had to suffice. Oh- and as for this posting's title- yep - just down the block from the resort wear was the store where you could rent yourself a niiiice wedding gown. I'm willing to bet my life those gowns are straight from 1982.
ANYWAY.. we have had a fantastic little mini-vacation. We haven't been at work since Tuesday (yeah.. Monday morning is so not going to be fun).

We had friends over on Wed and we cooked out some burgers and hot dogs. We didn't hit any fireworks displays this year.. Eileen is still too young to care, and Gracie flips out when she hears the neighbors shooting them off- so I am in no rush to leave her in the house alone on July 4.

Thursday we headed to GBurg - despite my diva rants above - we really had a blast there. I see lots more day trips there as Miss Thang gets older. Far enough away to be an 'adventure' - but close enough to be spur of the moment and not involve hotels. And of course it was fun to hang out with Grandma Joyce. I think she was having a pretty good time running around the aquarium with her little granddaughter!

Friday was niiiice,.. we were lazy in the morning.. then ran some errands.. and then hit the pool. AHHH. We actually checked Eileen into KidCity (the daycare at the gym) and Mommy and Daddy soaked up some sun alone for a little while. Then we went and got her out and brought her with us. She had a blast. I dunked her in almost all the way (up to her eyes) - Josh was flipping out b.c I think he actually thought I would drown her. Eileen, on the other hand, was laughing her little head off. She loved it. When we got home, we attempted to finger paint. I had a blast with it. Eileen wasn't reallt too interested, she just wanted to eat the papertowel.
Saturday...anotoher lazy morning! (it's all relative.. at this point a lazy morning is staying in bed until 7:00!!!) We ran a load of errands. Finally got some more frames, and after 3.5 years of marriage - we hung some of our professional wedding pics! C'mon now, who's impressed????

We hit the bookstore. Finally after almost 10months I am able to find small snippets of time where I get to read books (just in time for the almost released Harry Potter!). So there I am in the front of the store checking out the new releases... me with Eileen in the big pink stroller.. Josh had run off to the back of the store.. and she did it again! Stuck that adorable little hand out and just dragged it across the books. SPLAT. There went several books- at least they were paperback and probably really didn't make that much noise- but I of course felt like everyone was staring at me and my wild child. You'd think I'd learn to not let her get within reach of anything! I thikn I was just so excited to be in the bookstore I just didn't think about it. Anyway.. then we headed back to the children's section where I let her out of the stroller and she headed straight to the Sandra Boynton books. She loves those. At least in that part of the store she can wreak havoc (OK, I am exaggerating. She is only 9.5mos old and still not truly mobile- she can't cause that much havoc!) as much as she wants. We got her a couple of books.

Then we sat in the little coffee section where I indulged in an ice coffee (YUM) and attempted to feed Eileen some carrots. She did a pretty good job of eating politely in public until she was almost done. Then she found it insanely amsuing to laugh loudly and with a mouthful of pureed carrots and then blow them on me! (in my white shirt!). Se really is a nut.

And today.. ho hum.. back to the real world. Laundry and more laundry. Cleaning house. making lunches. Making bottles for school tomorrow. I hope she does OK. She's been with us for five days..I am not expecting he to be too happy with us when we drop her off! Oh, but today.. she is getting to be such a big girl! I handed her the sippy cup and expected the normal excited reaction from her and then the instant turn it upside down and chew on the bottom. But nope. She actually put it in her mouth and drank out of it! And she did it again and again. She finally seems to have figured it out. Makes me a happy girl.. she's only got a few weeks left before she comes off the bottle (and the insanely pricey formula! whew!). And you know what else? She's starting to say words. OK, they aren't real clear. But they're there. She sees Gracie and says "Gassssseeeee" . When Aunt Sissy was here today, Eileen would say 'Sssss-ssss" - all 's' sounds but in two distinct syllables. She definitely is grasping the concept of repeating what we say - at least something that somewhat resembles what we say!

Whew. that was a long one. I hope you guys are still with me after that long-winded post! Happy Sunday night.